A Study in Brimstone

Book 13 of 2018 is A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning.

This started off painfully and then moved on to become a rich new world of Holmes and Watson. It is the typical thing with Watson being the one with social skills and Holmes being the talent.

In the first book in the series covers several classic Sherlock Holmes stories with a demonic twist. With vamps, ogres and warlocks, I could only enjoy the rewrite of the classics.

A good little bit of escapism, even with simple writing and some predictability.

Two of my favourite genres in one.

3 out of 5.

Should I read this? If you like crime fiction mixed with light hearted mythology then yeah, do it.
What did I learn? Authors don't seem to challenge us with deep mythology anymore. Instead they build on Dracula and Harry Potter. It's a shame.

IQ

Book 12 of 2018 is IQ by Joe Ide.

Reading about the trials of African Americans makes me cringe on the best of days but I can't live here and pretend it isn't happening. So this year, I am reading as much as I can bear.

This book was absolutely brilliant. Very Sherlock Holmes mixed with Spike Lee mixed with Quincy Jones. I want to stay in Isaiah's life and watch everything be solved through observation.

Great writing lets you live the story without fighting the words. Even with a dialect I don't read naturally and references that I have to take in context, this was easy and enjoyable to read.

Do read this.

5 inductive reasonings out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. Read it. It's that good.
What did I learn? The geek shall inherit the Earth. Or at least those of us who were picked last for sporting teams. :)

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist

Book 4 of 2018 is the 6th in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M.C. Beaton.

Still loving this series. This is book six in that series and although her obsession with her male neighbour/almost husband/ex-fiance irks me in its pathetic neediness, I love their crime solving.

In a book that reminded me that timing is everything, jealousy is always the reason and that happiness is participating in life, my love for this series grew stronger.

It's light and lighthearted but always a fun ride.

4 international murders out of 5.

Should I read this? Only if you like a light series. I like to read this when I am deciding what to read next. It's a filler series for sure.
What did I learn? Independence is grand.

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

Book 3 of 2018 is the 5th in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton.

I am so very glad I went on to the 5th book in this long series. This is one of the best books I've read since the first book and it is grand. Nothing goes well but many things do. It's what I like about the reality of this fantasy.

This is a series I am already continuing by consuming the sixth book right after.

4 complicated men out of 5.

Should I read this? Again, yes. For the Agatha Christie fans.
What did I learn? I love this style of mystery. So easy. So enjoyable.

The Hate U Give

Book 74 is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

GoodReads readers voted this book Best Debut GoodReads Author and Best Young Adult Fiction of 2017. That made this a must read.

Everyone has been talking about this book from the day it was release... or maybe even prior. It is a now book in the US with white cops killing black kids more often than you'd imagine and always without warrant.

When told from the mouth of a teenager, this book breaks you heart. Her family makes you smile. Her friends make you cringe. Her inner monologue makes you remember those young years you lived and how little fear you felt in comparison.

There is a reason for the hype around this very easy to read but very hard to accept story. The world shouldn't be like this but it is. Good books make you want to read them again. Great books change your entire world view. This is somewhere in between those two points.

Do read it.

5 dictator black mothers out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes, especially if you live in the racially charged USA.
What did I learn? I had an easy and safe childhood.

Blood Moon

Book 73 is Blood Moon which is book 2 of The Huntress series by Alexandra Sokoloff.

Having enjoyed Huntress Moon, the first book in the series 14 books ago, I was keen to get back to this series. It wasn't as easy as anticipated. I picked this up and then read one other book before picking this up again. The first chapter took me three passes before I could continue. It just didn't grab me to start.

It's good that I kept reading because with this book based mostly around the noir FBI Agent Matthew Roarke was more enjoyable than the first book. The first book is more of an insight in to the rationalised mind of a female serial killer. This was more complimentary maybe then "better" as such. Roarke ponders what made this killer while seeking the monsters he knows are in her head.

It's almost a collaboration between to broken people on opposite sides of a battle between good and evil.

This will be the last in the series that I read. The characters didn't hold on to me enough, although I did enjoy the first two books. It may not be my genre after all.

3 anatomies of a serial killer out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes to the first two books but it is up to you if you continue on through the series.
What did I learn? As we age, we perfect our art.

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley

Book 52 is the 4th book of the Agatha Raisin series - Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton.

This is my favourite in-the-middle series at the moment. It satisfies my Agatha Christie cravings in a very modern way.

The last book was lacking and that made me worry about persisting in this saga but this reaffirmed my enjoyment of this genre and author.

I can't tell you anything or I will spoil it. Read it but do read all the bits before.

4 fields of canola out of 5.

Should I read this? Yeah, it's fun.
What did I learn? Some people have far too much spare time.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Book 48 is The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.

I've seen this book on best seller lists, in bookstores and did want to read it but it took my upcoming trip to Chicago to push me into reading it now and quickly.

This is a thick book so I wasn't confident in finishing it within the week I had before leaving for for my long weekend in that city.

I'm glad I started it. I'm glad I had no idea that it was non-fiction until about halfway through when I googled it and found out it was based in truth... actual truth.

As I head to that city hoping I shan't meet a serial killer, I'm excited to see the city that hosted the 1893 World's Fair. The city with soggy ground, enclaves, a huge mix of different people, high standards in food and a history.

Mostly, that history.

5 dead wives of 5.

Should I read this? One of the best books I have read in a while and absolutely the best historical non-fiction I've read in a decade.
What did I learn? No Air BNBs.

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener

Book 45 of 2017 is Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener which is book 3 of the Agatha Raisin Mysteries by M.C. Beaton.

Book 3 in the series continues in the same sleepy village with the same neighbours and dramas that Agatha has become part of.

This mystery wasn't too hard to solve but the character growth is fun to read.

So as not to ruin this or any prior books in the series, I won't say too much more.

4 murdered gardens out of 5.

Should I read this? Again, if you like a Ms Marple style murder mystery.
What did I learn? A nice series that breaks up some of the more serious things I read, is a good idea.

The Vicious Vet

Book 43 of 2017 is The Vicious Vet which is book two from the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton.

After enjoying the first book, I've quickly returned to the second and can see myself dispersing the next 26 in the series between the books I read over the next few years. That is assuming the series stays strong and honours its Miss Marple roots.

The love interest bores me a little but that might be my dismissive-of-all-lovey-dovey-rubbish stage of life. Actually, that may be why I like the main character so much. She's secure, no-nonsense and independent, even when she has a love interest. The character that is her love interest bores me. Too British and reserved for my liking.

This series is worth the read if you have read every Agatha Christie book ever written multiple times and need something that you don't know the ending to.

4 suspicious neighbours out of 5.

Should I read this? For all the Miss Marple fans.
What did I learn? Not all crimes are planned out.

The Quiche of Death

Book 36 of 2017 is The Quiche of Death which is book one from the Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton.

Another free book that has me hooked on a series. This series will take the place of me not getting to watch the BBQ regularly since moving to the US.

It is obviously a modern take on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple but done tongue in cheek through flowing prose.

Like Miss Marple, this all takes place in a sleepy little hamlet with nosey neighbours, helpful police one step behind our heroine and baking competitions of death.

With 27 books in the series, this will give me my Agatha Christie fix at regular intervals between other books.

4 baked goods from ovens other than the ones claimed out of 5.

Should I read this? For Christie fans the world over, yes.
What did I learn? Old habits die hard.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice

Book 15 of 2017 is The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King.

I miss Sherlock Holmes stories a lot. Having read all of them over and over, it is lovely to find something written in such a close style and involving my favourite fictional detective.

This was long but it establishes the training of the apprentice and the style of of the series. I will be reading more of this for sure.

4 obvious reasons out of 5.

Should I read this? If you are a Sherlock fan then yes..

What did I learn? You can never get enough of a great literary character.

A Man of Some Repute

Book 4 of 2017 is A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmondson.

This has been described as a very British mystery and boy, is that true? I could hear the accents as a read it. With that in mind, the story is very much like a BBC weekly crime show and I love those. In keeping with this genre, the twists were mostly predictable so this was more about the characters. The Brits often appear mild and reserved but there is often more to a person than that. This is what I enjoyed thoroughly about this book.

This is not the best murder mystery book out there but it keeps with the theme and is a satisfying read.

Four men fainting at the sight of blood out of five.

Should I read this? Yes, if you like BBC murder mysteries.
What did I learn? Some authors write accents really well.

Helter Skelter

Book 63 of 2015 is Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry.

This is the hardest book to put down that I have read this year. That is rare for me when it comes to non-fiction but this held my attention. This felt a lot like watching a train wreck but one happening to a bunch of dysfunctional jerks.

The writing is engagingly simple and this has to be one of the best told stories of a criminal trial since To Kill a Mockingbird.

4 cult members out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes, if you have a stomach for psycho cult murders.
What did I learn? People can be convinced by insane charismatic psychos to do their bidding. Usually, very broken people already.

Maisie Dobbs

Book 44 of 2015 is Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear.

I've missed the BBC for a while now since leaving Australia and reading this was like reconnecting with a BBC crime drama.

This is well written and engaging. Maisie is loveable and tough. You can respect her and relate to her. At least as a woman.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series but it won't be straight away. I will wait a while to read this in a decent and considered way, just like Maisie would.


4 proper considerations out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes, it is worth the time if you like British drama.
What did I learn? I don't have to miss the BBC if I can read British fiction.

A Cool Breeze on the Underground

Book eleven of 2015 is A Cool Breeze on the Underground by Don Winslow.

I think this book would appeal to Americans and their view of the English rather than British people and Australians alike.

The story is simple and exciting but nothing new. Sometimes, that is ok. It is a quick read and written in a digestible way.

3.5 con men out of 5.

Should I read this? Yeah, it's ok. Maybe if you don't have anything else you really want to read and want something light and easy.
What did I learn? From reading books, I know too much about detoxing someone addicted to heroin.